


Thank God for The Beatles

by badcaseofcasey



Category: Marvel, Marvel (Movies)
Genre: Adorable, Fluff, M/M, Music, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-27
Updated: 2012-04-27
Packaged: 2017-11-04 09:37:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/392376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badcaseofcasey/pseuds/badcaseofcasey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony had realized that Steve, being frozen in ice for 70 years, had missed out on a lot of history and pop culture, and Tony had done his best to try and reeducate him.<br/>But he didn't realize just how bad it was...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thank God for The Beatles

**Author's Note:**

> My second Steve/Tony fic! Hope you enjoy it! It was betaed by the lovely sherlockwatsoned, sirdefnesaur and melancoliaii over on tumblr, who are lovely and deserve all the best in life for their amazing job at turning this fic into something people might actually want to read.

Tony had realized that Steve, being frozen in ice for 70 years, had missed out on a lot of history and pop culture, and Tony had done his best to try and reeducate him.

He finally got some use out of the huge collection of DVDs he rarely watched, walking Steve through such classics as Ghostbusters, Back to the Future (that one had been fun- Steve loved it because he felt a connection to Marty, who “understood his pain”), and the Godfather.

Tony decided that he would save Star Wars for later- that could be a bit much for Steve, who had trouble believing that an American man had walked on the moon. Imagine his reaction to interplanetary travel being a normal way of life!

Tony had taken him to museums to get caught up on the end of World War II, the Cold War, Vietnam, Korea and the modern state of things. He’d even started slipping in pop culture references into everyday conversation to test him, which led to Steve using Google.

But this- this was too much.

“What?” Steve asked, all innocence and doe eyes.

“Are you serious?” Tony asked, incredulous.

“What? I just said I liked the song and asked who’s doing it. What’s wrong?”

“Wow. I hadn’t even realized,” Tony said. “You missed one of the greatest bands of all time.”

“Well, I like the song, but I wouldn’t say ~~-~~ ”

“Don’t finish that sentence. Please, don’t make me have to hate you. We’ve been getting along so well.”

“Well, tell me who you’re talking about! Then you won’t have to hate me,” Steve entreated, exasperated.

“This song, Steven Rogers, is called Blackbird, and is by the Beatles, one of the most popular and long-enduring bands in the history of music. They pioneered an entire genre, they drove teenage girls everywhere into fits of mass hysteria, they changed the world and- Oh, wow. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

And there began Steve’s musical education.

Tony started by making him an mp3 player in the downtime between missions, something easy to operate, so he wouldn’t get frustrated and break it again. Steve stuttered out a thanks, cheeks glowing, when Tony gave it to him, but it wasn’t a big deal. _Seriously,_ he’d built more complicated machinery in a _cave_ in less time. An mp3 player was child’s play.

He loaded it with playlists divided by decade ~~,~~ to ease Steve into it, beginning with the late 1940s, and then moving through each decade. Tony put in the Billboard Top 100 for that decade, as well as any and all bands he felt were necessary, even if they weren’t pop music. Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin may have had a few songs crack the top 100, but even the ones that didn’t were necessary to any musical reeducation.

Steve took his musical reeducation almost as seriously as he would take a mission. He gave himself a schedule, to ensure he wouldn’t stay in one decade for too long (“Otherwise, I’d never leave the 40s,”he said to Tony when he’d caught Steve drawing out the schedule and pinning it to the fridge). Tony had given the mp3 player buttons for liking and disliking a song. If Steve hit the dislike button, it forced him to listen to the whole song, and if he hadn’t changed his mind by the end, it’d never be played again. If he clicked the like button, it would be moved to a separate playlist so he could find it again later.

This week, Steve had made it into the 60s. While reluctant to leave the 1950s (He had a soft spot for barbershop quartets and Elvis), he seemed to be enjoying himself. Tony had taken the liberty of including the entire Beatles discography, because some things you just don’t skip. Steve liked their first few albums, so much so that he was in danger of getting behind schedule.

On Steve’s third time through the 60s, Tony knocked on Steve’s bedroom door to find him singing and dancing along to  _Twist and Shout_. And _damn_ if he couldn’t give Elvis a run for his money with those hips.

Tony smiled at Steve as he turned around to face the door.

“Hey, Tony!” he called over the music. “You were right- these Beatles are fantastic!”

“How’s that schedule?” Tony teased, laughing as Steve pulled an enthusiastic twist.

“I might have to give myself an extension.” Steve said, laughing. “They  _are_  what started this whole thing.”

“Just wait until you get to their stuff from the 70s- you won’t recognize them.”

The song changed and the opening chord of  _Do You Want to Know a Secret?_  rang out and filled the room.

Tony smiled. Steve’s excitement was infectious. “Dance with me?”

Before Tony could process it, Steve had pulled him in and was holding him close, their clasped hands extended, his other arm around Tony’s waist as he rocked them back and forth to the music.

“Thanks for this,” he said, quieter now that they were closer, “for putting all the effort in. It’s probably one of the kindest things anyone’s done for me.”

“Wait until you get to the 80s. You might not want to thank me after you hear the punk stuff I gave you.”

“Come on, Tony, I’m being serious,” Steve scolded.

“Fine. Seriously, you’re welcome.”

Steve stumbled and stepped on Tony’s foot.

“Sorry,” Steve said, moving to back off, but Tony’s arm had tightened and prevented him from moving any further away, “I’m kind of new at this.”

Tony smiled up at him. “Never would have guessed.”

Steve beamed back at him and moved his hands to wrap around Tony’s waist like they were dancing at their senior prom.

“God, I should have never shown you Pretty in Pink.” Tony said, joking around.

Steve leaned closer to rest his head on Tony’s shoulder, facing him, and began to sing softly.

“ _Listen, do you want to know a secret? Do you promise not to tell? Closer, let me whisper in your ear, say the words you long to hear, I’m in love with you…”_

He trailed off as the song ended softly.

Tony smiled, enjoying how much Steve liked his gift.

“So?” Steve said into the silence. The playlist had ended and the player was lying dormant in its dock.

“So…” Tony pulled away, looking at Steve with a questioning expression.

“What did you think of the, um, song?” Steve said, looking sheepish.

“One of my favorites.” Tony said. “Why?”

Steve deflated a little.

“I guess I can sympathize, you know? Wanting to tell someone you love them, so much you just want to tell everyone, but at the same time, you’ve been holding it in. But you finally decide to tell them and…” He looked at Tony almost pleadingly.

“Do you get my meaning?”

Tony shook his head and that, it would seem, was all JARVIS could take.

“Let me give you a hint, sir.” he said, before using Steve’s mp3 player to get his point across.

_She loves you, yeah yeah yeah,_

_She loves you, yeah yeah yeah,_

_With a love like that, you know you should be glad._

Tony got the message.

His eyes widened and he pulled away to look at Steve.

“You do?”

Steve nodded meekly, still unsure whether to make the first move or to run and hide.

“Steve, you… what?” Tony’s eyes were wide and his expression disbelieving. He pulled away from Steve slightly, but stayed close, not quite willing to leave the warmth Steve seemed to radiate. “Why?

“Because you’re smart and funny, and kind, and you put so much care and thought into this music thing. I couldn’t really stop myself.”

“But, you’re well, you, and I’m just… I’m not worth it.”

Steve made his decision, moving a hand to cup Toy’s cheek and muttering, “You are more than worth it,” before leaning in and kissing Tony sweetly, caressing his cheek with a thumb as he did. It was tentative and unsure, but held so much emotion that it practically bowled Tony over. He’d never been kissed like this before- not with this much love or tenderness. It was like he was something precious, like he was actually  **worth**  something.

It felt like flying.

Tony would know.

Steve pulled back and looked at Tony expectantly, who opened his eyes and looked into Steve’s. Steve’s eyes had always been expressive, and right now, they were shining with hope and love, which made Tony blush which, come _on_ , he hadn’t done that since he was _twelve_. Steve visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Why’d you stop?” Tony said, pulling Steve in by his shirt and walking them back towards the bed, letting Steve fall on top of him, kissing him like he was his oxygen. He’d pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind for so long, and that first kiss was like opening the floodgates. He couldn’t get enough of feeling Steve’s hands exploring his torso, or his lips moving against Tony’s lips and neck. He never wanted to be further from Steve than he was right now ever again.

“How far are you willing to go with this?” Tony asked. “Because if I don’t stop soon, I might not be able to.”

“You’re a good guy, Tony. I know you’d stop no matter how late I was telling you.”

“I know, but for the sake of my blue balls…”

“I’m willing to go as far as you’re willing to take me.” Steve said, his expression sincere and loving and incredibly sexy all at the same time.

Tony smiled and started pulling at Steve’s shirt, tugging it over his head before removing his own. He leaned down and kissed him again.

Steve moaned at the sensation of skin against skin and pulled Tony to him so they were as closeas humanly possible. Their hips rolled and moved together and Tony really hated pants right now. Life would be so much easier if pants weren’t required.

Then, suddenly, Steve pulled away and any thoughts of pants left Tony’s mind and were soon replaced with, _oh god, oh god, what did I do? Did I screw this up already?_

“Are we moving too fast?” Steve panted out, abruptly breaking away from the kiss and rolling off Tony onto his side, propping his head on his hand. “Not that I’m not enjoying this- because I am, just… I mean, I know things have changed since I was last dating someone, but this just seems- fast.”

“We’re only moving too fast if you think we are,” Tony said, mirroring his position, relieved that he hadn’t completely screwed up what may be the best thing that has ever happened to him. “As far as anything physical, you’re in control. You set the pace, because I’m obviously going to be more likely to want more than you.”

“No, I want it,” Steve said, blushing. “It’s just a lot to take in…”

“Steve, are you… have you ever done this sort of thing with a guy?”

“No,” Steve said. “Or really with anyone.”

Tony’s jaw dropped. “Seriously? You looked like that and no one…”

“I didn’t always look like this,” Steve said. “Before the serum, girls weren’t exactly lining up to dance with me, and afterwards… I mean, there were more important things. And Peggy was waiting for me… kind of. I mean, there were girls who wanted it, but I wasn’t exactly the best when it came to talking to women, even after the serum. Before today, I’d only ever danced with my mother.”

“You haven’t even  _danced_  with someone you were interested in before?” Tony said. “What were you waiting for?”

Steve shrugged.

“The right partner. I thought I found her a while ago, but then I crashed a plane into the ice and got myself frozen for the rest of the century, so… I guess it wasn’t meant to be.”

“Is it selfish of me to say I’m glad you did? Or else I couldn’t have been the right one, in the end,” Tony said. “If you’d gotten your chance with Peggy, we never would have met.”

“In that case, I can’t be too broken up about it either,” Steve said, smiling.

“But seriously, never?” Tony said, still not quite processing that Steve could be a virgin when he looked like he does.

Steve shook his head, then smirked devilishly.

“You’re going to have to teach me.”

Tony’s eyebrows rose in surprise. Steve could talk dirty- who knew?

 “Oh trust me- there ~~’~~ re _tons_ of things I can teach you,” he said, running a hand over Steve’s arm. “And we’ve got all the time in the world. So when you’re ready, and  **only**  then.”

Steve smiled and leaned over to kiss Tony gently.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome- even though it’s really no problem,” Tony said, then reconsidered.

“Well, actually, it’s kind of a problem, because, well, look at you. But I can wait as long as you want. Just know I collect interest in the form of sexual favors.”

Steve laughed, open and happy, none of the fake stuff he puts on for the cameras.

“Well, right now, I want you to kiss me ~~.~~ ,” Steve said, a hand on Tony’s neck, pulling him in before he could respond and kissing him desperately. What Steve lacked in experience, he certainly made up for with enthusiasm, and Tony couldn’t believe he’d gotten so lucky.

_Thank God for The Beatles._


End file.
